Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross voted against the Assisted Dying Bill in the Scottish Parliament. The former Moray MP described the vote as “one of the most difficult” that he has had to consider in his political career.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has pulled its support for the assisted dying bill ahead of its return to the House of Commons on Friday. It comes as plans to legalise assisted dying in Scotland passed the first stage this week.

An emotional MSP has revealed how how her mother opted to starve herself to “hasten her inevitable death” after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Elena Whitham told how her mother Irene McLeod took two weeks to die after making that decision in secret back in 2014.

John Keenan, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley, expressed his “sadness” that MSPs backed an historic law change on people's right to choose the timing of their death.

Legislation to allow terminally ill people in Scotland to take their own life is being put forward by the Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur.